Map holder



May 28, 1929. c. D. SHAEFFER MAP HOLDER Patented May 28, 1929.

UNITE MAP HOLDER.

Application filed May 21, 1928. Serial No. 279,360.

This invention relates to map and chart holders and particularly to map and chart holders which maybe used on vehicles or in other exposed places.

It is the object of the invention to provide a novel and improved map holder which will incase a comparatively long flexible map I or chart and which will include means for exposing different portions of the map to view from time to time, which can be readily manipulated.

To this end, the invention consistsin the novel parts and novel combinations of parts,

hereinafter defined in the claims and described in the following specification, made in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein like reference characters refer to the same or similar parts throughout the various views and, in'which,

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the forward inside portion-of an automobile illustrating one of the map holders of the present invention applied thereto;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged plan view of the map holder, certain of the parts being broken away and shown in section;

Fig. 3 is a view inside elevation of the holder on an enlarged scale, certain of the parts being broken away and shown in section; V i

Fig. 4. is a transverse section of the device taken on the line 4-4 of Fig. 2, as is indicated by the arrows;

Fig. 5 is a horizontal section taken on the line 5 5 of Fig. 4, as is indicated by the arrows, and g Fig. 6 is a perspective view of one end of the map holder with the cover removed.

Referring to the drawings, a long rectan gular open-topped casing A is provided, which includes the bottom 7, sides 8, and ends 9. The ends 9 terminate short of'the tops of the sides 8 and the said sides 8 have inwardly extending grooves 10 formed at their upper edges which project above the level of the'ends 9. The grooves 10 are prefe erably formed byfirst bending the upper edges of the sides 8 straight inwardly throughout their lengths to form inwardly extending flanges 11. The innermost edges of these flanges are then reverselybent; and

U-shaped to form the grooves 10 with one side of the grooves abutting the lower sides of the flanges 11, and the outer sides of the grooves abutting the main portions of the sides 8. The flanges 11, inwardly short distances from the ends-thereof, are out off at 13 so that the grooves 10 will terminate short of the ends of the casing.

Extending below the ends of the grooves 10 transversely of the casing are partitions 14. These partitions, adjacent either end NT OFFICE.

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thereof, have downwardly and outwardly extending notches 15 formed therein which notches flare outwardly towards the top edges of the partitions. Joining the notches 15, and extending downwardly therefrom toward the bottom 7 of the casing, are the circular notches 16 which form bearings for two roller shafts 17 and 18. The said shafts extend longitudinally of the casing and one of the shafts, such as shaft 18, projects through a slot 19 running downwardly from the upper edge of one of the ends.9 and extends outwardly from one end of the casing for some littledistance, and is provided at its outer end with a knob 20 for turning the shaft. The other ends of the shafts 17 and 18 preferably terminate just short of the inner sides of the ends 9 of the casing. Mounted on both ends of each of the shafts l7 and 18, between the partitions 14.- and the ends 9 of the casing," are small drums 21, and resilient endless belts 22 preferably composed from rubber, or similar material, extend between and over the two drums 21 adjacent the two ends of the casing. The shafts 17 and 18 are preferably provided with slots 23 adjacent, theircentral portions for reception of the outwardly and centrally flaring ends of a long flexible member 24. Member 24 maybe a map, chart or similar device. The ends of themap will be removably secured in the grooves 23 of the two shafts and one end of the map will be rolled on one of the shafts l7 and the other end of the map a will be rolled on the other shaft 18 so that A suitable cover 25 comprising a rectangular frame, having a glass or slmllar transparent material mounted therein, is slidably securable within the grooves 10 to close the upper side of the casing and yet permit the map or chart to be viewed from the outer side of.

a portion of the map will extend between the two shafts adjacent the top of the casing.

able arm 28 is provided which may be secured as by screws to a suitable support, such as the support 29, and the casing may be secured to the arm 27 to extend either vertically or horizontally in respect thereto.

Considering the map holder to be in assembled condition with a flexible map wound on the rollers 17 and 18, a bracket of the 'map holder may be mounted in an automobile in the position illustrated in Fig. 1;, if desired. The driver of the automobile can readily refer to the map as he steers his course along a highway, and the casing providedfor the mapfwill prevent the same from being torn or blown by the wind and frombecoming soiled by usage and by dust of the road. When the driver des res to turn the map to expose a different section A thereof, he sirnplyturns the knob 20, whereupon the two resilient belts 22 will cause both shafts to revolve in the'same direction, thereby permitting a portion of the map to be'unwound from one shaft and a portion of the mapto be wound upon the other shaft.

Due to the fact that the belts 22 are resilient, suflicient friction will be applied to the drums 21 on' the two shafts, to hold the shafts in the position towhich they have I been turned. There will thus be no tendency for the e'xposedportion of the map to become slack and the same will be tightly stretched at all times between the two shafts. The circular bearing notches 16, which adjoin the flaring notches 15 in the partitions 14, will prevent the shafts 17 and 18 from slipping upwardly, due to the fact that shoulders,

will be formed at the point of juncture between the notches 15 and 16. The shafts,

through the notches 15. Due to the fact that the grooves 10 terminate at 13 inwardly from the ends 9 of the casing, the drums 21 will not strike'any portion of the casing as the shaft 17 is removed. Prior to the removal of the, shaft 17, the map 24 will preferably be wound entirely upon the shaft 17. A second shaft 17 carrying a different map 24 n1ay then be substituted for the original shaft 17 and map carried thereby, or the original map 24 may be removed from the original shaft 17 and another map of the same type applied thereto, by winding the same, on the shaft. When the new shaft 17,

together with the mapcarried thereon, or .the old shaft, having a new map secured thereto, is again mserted within the casing so serted within the groove 23 on the shaft 18,

whereupon by rotation'of the shaft 18, one end of the map may be wound thereon. The

cover 24 may then be applied to the casing,

whereupon the same is again ready for use. It will be apparent that the shaft 18 can also be removed from the casing, if desired. 7

The device is simple in construction and in operation, comprises few parts and; is inexpensive to produce. It is foundparticularly useful when applied to automobiles for carrying State maps. When the. map; holder is used in'connection with maps having their greatest dimension running from north to south, the map holder will be appliedto the supporting arm 28 in the manner illustrated in Fig. 1, so that the map holder extends substantially vertically. 'When the map holder is used in conneotion with maps, which have their greatest dimensions running east and west, the casing will be secured to the arm 28 by slipping the arm in the bracket 26, whereupon the map holder will be disposed substantially horizontally. The inventor has successfully demonstrated the device in actual practice.

It will, of course, be understood that Va; rious changes may be. made in. the form, details, arrangement and proportions of. the variouswparts,without departing from the scope of the present'invention.

What is claimed is:

1. A map holder comprising an open topped casing, a pair of partitions disposed transversely of the casing adjacent the ends thereof, formed therein adjacent, their ends, said notches extending diagonally downwardly and toward the sides of said casing from the tops of said partitions and said partitions havingbearing portions communicating with. said notches and extending downwardly toward the bottom of said casing from said notches, and roller shafts journalled in said bearing portions whereby said shafts can, be rotated and said shaftsmay be raised upwardly from their hearing portions. into the notched portions of said partitions to remove the same.

2. A map holder comprising an open. topped rectangular casing, the upper inner edges of the sides of said casing having grooves formed therein at a higher levelv than the ends of said casing, the. upper edges of said sides terminating short, of the ends of the casing, partitions. disposed transe versely in the casing adjacent the endsthereof and between the ends of said grooves, said partitions having notched portions adjacent either end projecting downwardly and toward the sides of said casing and said partitions having notched bearing portions oin-.

said partitions having notches when said cover is removed, said shafts can be removed without interference from the grooved portions of the sides of the said 1 casing.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

CLARENCE D. SHAEFFER. 

